The State Bar of California has named a new Chief Trial Counsel to lead the key component of the bar’s attorney discipline system, the Office of Chief Trial Counsel. The bar named Steven Moawad, a longtime Contra Costa County prosecutor, to the position on April 26.

The State Bar of California began its plan to implement the portions of a new ethics rule, Rule 5-110, regarding the responsibilities of criminal prosecutors that the California Supreme Court approved in an order on May 1.

The State Bar of California has received a report of a phishing scam aimed at attorneys. The fraudulent email purports to be from the State Bar, containing the subject line, “Past due invoice for State Bar Association of California” and suggests the attorney can download an invoice by clicking a link in the email.